Quick Poll on Sugar

Glucose is broken down to pyruvate, then acetyl-COA, then NADH or FADH2 which enters the electron transport chain to make ATP! Many sugars get broken down to glucose and then ATP at the cellular level, but not fructose. Fructose is broken down in the liver into a variety of things including triglycerides (fat), uric acid, and free radicals. These can be bad things in high amounts, and high fructose corn syrup in excess could be the link to the increase in obesity and diabetes (note the Could!). Fructose from fruit is generally considered okay because you have to eat a lot of it in a short time to rival some foods such as sodas. It also contains indigestible fiber which is good for "keeping you regular".

The problems arise when you are intolerant to something in the food, such as lactose, then you need to watch your intake. High levels of sugar in the bloodstream causes insulin to be secreted from your pancreas, which helps cells to absorb the sugars and stops the body breaking down stored glucose (glycogen) till levels decrease. If insulin resistance occurs you end up with type 2 diabetes, if the pancreas fails to produce insulin you end up with type 1 diabetes.

I am lucky to not have an intolerance, therefore I don't obsess over my sugar intake, it's almost always over because I eat fruit and carbs daily. I would reconsider if it was wildly over most days or if my doctor had concerns over my blood work, but no problems yet!
I don't drink soda but that is just my preference but cutting it out of your diet will save you a lot of calories and sugars! I don't know much about aspartame or other man made sugars. I also gained all my knowledge from taking nutrition/physiology/biochemistry courses and I am not an expert by any means so take this as you will!

This article is quite interesting and written by someone with better credentials then I! http://www.science20.com/michael_goran/issue_fructose_period-90840

Sugar from fruit (fructose) (an actual fruit, not juice) is fine. Sugar from vegetables and milk (lactose) are fine. Fructose in the form of juice, table sugar, processed sugar (i.e. HFCS - mix of fructose & sucrose) are not good...literally processed as poison by your liver and stored as fat. The actual fruit is good because it is surrounded by fiber, starches, minerals which aid in proper digestion and breakdown. I used to wonder this all the time and I watched a very informative lecture with sexy facts, biochemistry analysis and breakdown which explained it perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Ummm....huh? Poison? Stored as fat? How?

Here is a better video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMc0_s-M08I

Also, a good article.

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

That is the beauty of the internet...every one has a blog and disclaims this and that. I would take the knowledge of 10 doctors over a blogger any day of the week. Especially when it can be proven scientifically. Have you watched the full lecture, I realize it is an hour and a half, but it's not just the lecture portion it's the chemistry that really speaks volumes.

I know how long it is. And LOL, Alan Aragon is not a just a blogger. Take the time to read/listen.


How about answering the questions?

It can be explained in the lecture with pretty, shiny pictures and everything...hence why I linked it. Take it down a notch...we're all entitled to an opinion.

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion, but why are you asserting that your opinion is superior by not even acknowledging the scientific research that is contrary to what you believe? When you deflect as you did, it makes your opinion less credible.

Hold the phone. I never said my opinion is "superior" to anyone. This is a forum and specifically this thread took a poll asking about sugar. What I wrote/linked is my opinion and it is what I personally believe in. Someone else commented on on what their opinion is. We can disagree all day long about who is right and who is wrong, and link studies, blogs and scientific evidence proving this and that, but that is not my intention. There are so many views on various topics on MFP (eating back exercise calories, protein intake, eating below "X" amount) and all get debated back and forth with various links, articles, scientific studies...but it all comes down to who believes in what and what their opinions are.

Glucose is broken down to pyruvate, then acetyl-COA, then NADH or FADH2 which enters the electron transport chain to make ATP! Many sugars get broken down to glucose and then ATP at the cellular level, but not fructose. Fructose is broken down in the liver into a variety of things including triglycerides (fat), uric acid, and free radicals. These can be bad things in high amounts, and high fructose corn syrup in excess could be the link to the increase in obesity and diabetes (note the Could!). Fructose from fruit is generally considered okay because you have to eat a lot of it in a short time to rival some foods such as sodas. It also contains indigestible fiber which is good for "keeping you regular".

The problems arise when you are intolerant to something in the food, such as lactose, then you need to watch your intake. High levels of sugar in the bloodstream causes insulin to be secreted from your pancreas, which helps cells to absorb the sugars and stops the body breaking down stored glucose (glycogen) till levels decrease. If insulin resistance occurs you end up with type 2 diabetes, if the pancreas fails to produce insulin you end up with type 1 diabetes.

I am lucky to not have an intolerance, therefore I don't obsess over my sugar intake, it's almost always over because I eat fruit and carbs daily. I would reconsider if it was wildly over most days or if my doctor had concerns over my blood work, but no problems yet!
I don't drink soda but that is just my preference but cutting it out of your diet will save you a lot of calories and sugars! I don't know much about aspartame or other man made sugars. I also gained all my knowledge from taking nutrition/physiology/biochemistry courses and I am not an expert by any means so take this as you will!

This article is quite interesting and written by someone with better credentials then I! http://www.science20.com/michael_goran/issue_fructose_period-90840

This is actually covered in Alan Aragon's blog which Sara posted earlier. It's all about dosage and context, and the sugar fear-mongerers tend to leave that part out.

I'm glad that I am not sensitive/allergic to it either. I don't track sugar because I don't have a medical reason that I would need to do so.

Oh okay I didn't read it, just the original post, and wanted to tell what I know. Now I need to go eat some proportionate sugar...

How many of you believe fruit sugar (and not just one apple a day- I am talking different types of fruit through out the day) is absolutely 100% fine?
and does anyone else here subtract in their head the fruit/veggie sugar from their "sugar" column on the macros each day?

I don't track my sugar macros but I wouldn't count fruit sugar if I did. However, if I'm over my carbs by quite a bit, I will make a note (in the wee notes section of my diary) of how many carbs came from fruit and veg.

Don't worry too much about eating too much fruit and veg - they say AT LEAST 5 portions of fruit and veg a day so eat them up

Speaking of which, I need to go fruit and veg shopping now

I'm not going to elaborate on the biochemistry and illustrations that can viewed on the lecture that I linked, that in detail show how different sugars are broken down by the liver. That's why I linked it because it gets far more comprehensive and in-depth then I can explain. It's a very interesting lecture and it changed the way I view sugar intake.

The rebuttals are also very interesting, if you care to read them. It appears that you don't, so I will just say have a nice day. :flowerforyou:

Sugar from fruit (fructose) (an actual fruit, not juice) is fine. Sugar from vegetables and milk (lactose) are fine. Fructose in the form of juice, table sugar, processed sugar (i.e. HFCS - mix of fructose & sucrose) are not good...literally processed as poison by your liver and stored as fat. The actual fruit is good because it is surrounded by fiber, starches, minerals which aid in proper digestion and breakdown. I used to wonder this all the time and I watched a very informative lecture with sexy facts, biochemistry analysis and breakdown which explained it perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Ummm....huh? Poison? Stored as fat? How?

Here is a better video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMc0_s-M08I

Also, a good article.

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

That is the beauty of the internet...every one has a blog and disclaims this and that. I would take the knowledge of 10 doctors over a blogger any day of the week. Especially when it can be proven scientifically. Have you watched the full lecture, I realize it is an hour and a half, but it's not just the lecture portion it's the chemistry that really speaks volumes.

Strong bashing people for not not watching a 1.5 hr lecture and knowing nothing about Alan Aragon, claiming he is a blogger... lol.

I LOVE bananas, but they have a lot of sugar. However, even eating 2 or 3 bananas a day as a 'pick-me-up' doesn't seem to bother my dieting at all. Also, drinking water helps water it down in your blood.

I usually eat one before lifting and hard muscle workouts. Great for energy!

Sugar from fruit (fructose) (an actual fruit, not juice) is fine. Sugar from vegetables and milk (lactose) are fine. Fructose in the form of juice, table sugar, processed sugar (i.e. HFCS - mix of fructose & sucrose) are not good...literally processed as poison by your liver and stored as fat. The actual fruit is good because it is surrounded by fiber, starches, minerals which aid in proper digestion and breakdown. I used to wonder this all the time and I watched a very informative lecture with sexy facts, biochemistry analysis and breakdown which explained it perfectly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

Ummm....huh? Poison? Stored as fat? How?

Here is a better video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMc0_s-M08I

Also, a good article.

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

That is the beauty of the internet...every one has a blog and disclaims this and that. I would take the knowledge of 10 doctors over a blogger any day of the week. Especially when it can be proven scientifically. Have you watched the full lecture, I realize it is an hour and a half, but it's not just the lecture portion it's the chemistry that really speaks volumes.

I know how long it is. And LOL, Alan Aragon is not a just a blogger. Take the time to read/listen.


How about answering the questions?

Interesting - I am on a day off today so have had some free time. I watched both videos (yes, including all of the 1.5 hour one) and read Alan Aragon's blog and every single one of the responses underneath. It's taken me the best part of 4 hours to watch, listen, read and absorb the arguments presented.

There are things to be said for and against both arguments and actually what I concluded was that neither side were fundamentally disagreeing with each other - it mainly came down to being context-specific and quantity-linked.

The conclusion I have drawn from the arguments presented can be summed up as: eating raw fruit is generally fine but avoid too much processed and refined foods containing sugar and cut back on drinking fruit juice and sugar-filled sodas. Moderation in all things is a virtue.

Actually I do all that already, but it's been a fun way to spend a morning.

How many of you believe fruit sugar (and not just one apple a day- I am talking different types of fruit through out the day) is absolutely 100% fine?
and does anyone else here subtract in their head the fruit/veggie sugar from their "sugar" column on the macros each day?

I eat fruit in moderation, one or two pieces a day. My favorites are berries and bananas-berries are low sugar/low carbs, bananas not so much

FOR ME, processed sugar is an addictive substance. Too much and I start craving more sugar, as well as refined carbs (breads, etc.) When removed from my eating, the carb/sugar cravings vanish. Initially, it's not easy to do as I tend to have sweet teeth (not just a sweet tooth!), but it's worth it in the long run. I try to limit my sugar to <25-35, but I don't freak if I go over due to a sweet potato or fruit.

Regarding fruit sugar - I try to limit my fruit to berries at this point. Otherwise, because I'm so used to such low sugar, it can also start the sweet cravings. (bananas tend to be the biggest culprit - those things are like rocket fuel to me - and not in a good way!)

I'm not going to elaborate on the biochemistry and illustrations that can viewed on the lecture that I linked, that in detail show how different sugars are broken down by the liver. That's why I linked it because it gets far more comprehensive and in-depth then I can explain. It's a very interesting lecture and it changed the way I view sugar intake.

Heh!

I really watch my sugars. I eat strawberries often or also kiwi. I try to compensate on my other foods though. For me since I have done that I have lost weight. I try to keep everything at 0 or under

Eating fruit did not get me fat. Fruit juice I count as bad, but fruit in it's whole form, isn't something I worry about at all.